Ballarat Climate Action Network members want to ensure the specific challenges and opportunities in the Ballarat region are included in the state-wide project.

"Local people are all too aware of the impacts of climate change already being felt across the region," a Ballarat Climate Action statement said.

"Local people are also a deep well of knowledge around all the solutions that can be implemented locally and across Victoria, to help reduce emissions and mitigate the worst effects of climate change and to help build community resilience to cope with the climate impacts already being felt."

Friends of the Earth and Melbourne's Act on Climate collective this week launched a climate solutions survey to collect ideas from people across Victoria.

The ideas will be collated and presented to the Victorian government as the People's Climate Strategy, in the hope it can help inform the government's first climate strategy.

The Victorian Climate Change Act 2017 requires the Victorian government to develop a climate strategy every five years, beginning from 2020, to set out how Victoria will meet its targets and adapt to the impacts of climate change.

The Act requires the government to release the first strategy within ten parliamentary sitting days of 31 October, 2020.

Some members of the Ballarat community have already shared their 'big ideas' for change.

Lucy from Ballarat wants the government to 'invest in our future, post-pandemic recovery through investing in renewable and sustainable technologies, industries, developments, and jobs'.

Ben from Ballarat wants to see a 'rolling program of electrifying our regional railway network with renewable energy to provide fast, clean, efficient trains'.

Patrick from Clunes says 'we need a map of current climate change impacts as there is little understanding of the rainfall shortfalls that led to the bushfires and droughts'.

Liz from Lal Lal wants the government 'to ensure our measures, systems, and structures serve the safety, health and wellbeing of all people and, inseparably, our environment'.

Visit actonclimate.org.au/ to complete the survey by October 4.

Have you signed up to The Courier's variety of news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in Ballarat.